Machine for laying underground drain-tiles.



l PATENTBD APR; 2, 1907.

M. P. MGCULL-OGH. MACHINE FOR LAYING UNDERGROUND DRAIN TILES.

APPLICATION FILEDAUG. 2, 1806.

2 SHEETS-HEBTr Z.

iUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARSENA P. MCCULLOCH, OF RED OAK, IOWA.

Specication of Letters Patent.

latented April 2, 1907.

Application led August 2, 1906. Serial No. 328,938.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARSENA P. MCCUL- Loon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Red Oak, in the county of Montgomery and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Laying Underground Drain-Tiles; and I do declare i the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for laying underground drain-tiles, particularly with reference to the provision of a carrier in which the tiles are placed and which is attached to and drawn by the ditching-machine and serves to keep the tiles in alinement and permit the discharge of the tiles therefrom and the placing thereof in the ditch formed by the mole of the ditching-machine; and it consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of my improved tile carrier and layer, showing the same attached to a ditching-machine and in operative position in an underground ditch, the latter being indicated in section. Fig. 2 is partly an elevation and partly a sectional view of a portion of the tile carrier and layer on an enlarged scale, the stop-stake being also indicated in said figure. Fig. 3 is apartial top plan view of the same with parts broken away to show the interior construction. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the same, taken on the plane indicated by the line a a of Fig. 2 near the stop-stake. Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on the plane indicated by the line l) b of Fig. 2 and at a distance from the stop-stake. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the tile carrier and layer. Fig. 7 is a detail transverse sectional view of the colter.

A ditcher l comprises the beam 2, the colter 3, which depends therefrom and which is a thin plate, and the mole 4, secured to the lower end of the colter. The colter as the ditcher is drawn by a team or traction-engine makes a vertical narrow cut in the ground, and the mole at the lower end of the colter makes a ditch below the surface of the ground, which is entirely covered excepting for the narrow vertical cut and is of sufficient size to receive the drain-tiles.

My improved tile carrier and layer 5 has its front end attached to the lower end 'of the colter 3 by a link 6, and the said tile carrier and layer is drawn through the ditch made by the mole and, in connection with a stopstake, (indicated at 7 and hereinafter described,) operates to aline and deposit the tiles which are behind said stop-stake inthe covered ditch and enables tiles to be placed in the-front portion of said carrier in advance of said stop-stake while the carrier is in motion, -together with the ditcher, so that the carrier may be supplied with tiles at the same time that it is placing tiles in the covered ditch.

The tile-carrier 5 is in practice of suitable length-say about two hundred feet-and it is composed of two side sections 8 of a size and shape to receive the tubular tiles a between them. The said sections are each provided with a bottom portion 9, a side portion l0, and a top portion ll. The said bottom 9, sides l0, and top or cover portions .l1 of the said sections are made of strips of sheet or plate iron or other suitable metal and are connected together by ribs 12, which ribs are cxterior thereof and are provided at their upper portions with hinged sections 13, attached to the covers or tops 1l to permit the latter to be raised and lowered. The top and bottom strips are divided into sections 14 of suitable length, the end portions of which overlap, as at I5.

On the rear portion of each of said sections is secured a coverstrip 16, which overlaps the front portion of the next section. The front portion'of each of said sections is provided where it lies between the next strip ahead and the cover-strip 16 with a longitudinal slot 17, and rivets, pins, or other suitable devices lS connect the rear end and the strip 16 of each section and operate in the slot 17 of the next section 14 to the rear.

Hence the tops and bottoms of the longitudinal separable side sections of the tile carrier and layer are composed of flexiblyjointed sections, which enable the tile carrier and layer to be bent or curved, as maybe required, to enable it to conform to the course of the ditch. The top portions of the sections 5 being also flexibly connected to the side portions thereof by the hinged joints, as hereinbefore described, may be also raised and lowered, and owing to the flexible joints between the longitudinal sections of the tops a portion of each top may be raised to form an opening betweenthem of sufficient width to enable tiles to beplaced in the carrier or IOO IIC

layer while the remaining portions of the same are covered and held down by the top. The material of which the carrier and layer is composed and the construction of the same is such as to render it highly elastic.

Near their front ends the side sections of the carrier and layer are connected together by a hinged joint 19. They are also connected together at their front ends by a hinged joint 20. The upper side strips terminate short of the front end of the tile carl rier and layer, and the lower side strips 8, at

the front end thereof, are bent downwardly at their outer ends and loosely connected to the front ends of the bottom strips 9, the same being also true of the front ends of the coverw strips 1l, said front ends of the cover-strips and of said lower side strips being provided with longitudinal slots 21, in which operate rivets or studs 22, that secure them to the front ends of the bottom strips 9. The stopstake 7 is sufficiently long to extend from above the ground to a point below the bottom of the ditch and is provided near its lower end with a broadened portion 23.

In the operation of my invention as the ditcher forms the ditch the tile carrier and layer is drawn behind the ditcher in the covered bottom portion of the ditch. The stake is driven so that it passes between the sidesections of the carrier and layer at a point initially near the front end of the said carrier and layer. An opening, as at l), is made in the ground down to the bottom of the ditch to expose that portion of the carrier and layer through which the stop-stake passes. Said stop-stake is turned by means of a lever 24, so that its broad portion 23 is at right angles to the sides of the carrier and layer and so that it forces those portions of the tops of the carrier and layer which are contiguous thereto upwardly to an open position to enable tiles a to be placed in the carrier and layer in advance of said stop-stake. A stake 25 is employed to secure the lever 24 and the upper end of the stop-stake. Assuming that the carrier and layer has already been supplied with tiles, so that there are tiles in rear of the stop-stake, as well as in advance therew of, the stop-stake as the carrier and layer is drawn Jforwardly by the ditcher will cause the tiles which are in rear of said stop-stake to be discharged by and in rear of the carrier and layer into the covered ditch.

It will be understood that since the sides, top, and bottom of the carrier and layer embrace the tiles in the covered ditch the tiles are kept in alinement with each other and are disposed in the covered ditch in such relation to each other and are kept straight. As the front portion of the carrier and layer recedes from the stopestake the top portions of its side sections close down upon the tiles placed therein in advance of the stop-stake, so that said tiles are gripped by the carrier and layer and positively moved forwardly therewith, and hence a space is kept immedi- Y ately in front of the stop-stake and under the upturned open portions of the tops of the tile carrier and layer side sections to enable tiles to be placed in the carrier and layer, so that the tile carrier and layer may be kept supplied with tiles at the same time that it is laying tiles in the covered ditch. When the tile carrier and layer has nearly passed the stopestake, the operation is discontinued, another opening b is made near the front end of the tile carrier and layer to uncover the same, as before, and the stop-stake is replanted and the operation above described repeated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A tile carrier and layer comprising longitudinal side sections, connected together at their front ends and otherwise separated from each other at their upper and lower sides to enable a stop-stake to be driven between them and into the ground below, for

the purpose set forth.

2. A hollow tile carrier and layer of the class described having a bottom, sides and top portions, said top portions adapted to be opened at points between the ends of the tile carrier and layer, in combination with a relatively iixed stop device to cause such tiles as are in the carrier and layer in rear of such stop device to be forced out of said carrier and layer by the motion of the latter, said stop device coacting with the top portions of said tile carrier and layer, while the latter is in motion, to open said top portions in advance of such stop device to enable tiles to be placed in such tile carrier and layer in front of such stop device.

3. A hollow tile carrier and layer of the class described having an elastic bottom, elastic sides and elastic top portions, said top portions adapted to be opened at points between the ends of the tile carrier and layer, in combination with a relatively fixed stop device to cause such tiles as are in the carrierv and layer in rear of such stop device to be forced out of said carrier and layer by the motion of the-latter, said stop device coacting with the top portions of said tile carrier and layer, while the latter is in motion, to open said top portions in advance of such stop device to enable tiles to be placed in such tile carrier and layer in front of such stop device.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my'hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MARSENA P. MCcULLocH.

Witnesses W. C. RATCLIFF, J. N. TUTWILER.

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